Minnesota Vikings 53 man roster projection: Preseason edition

Wide receivers (6)

The Minnesota Vikings may have arguably the best receiving duo in the NFL, but past those two individuals, there are a lot of young players looking to prove themselves to the team’s coaching staff. The preseason will be big for these players, but things are already shaking out a bit.

Here are the wide receivers projected to be on the team’s 53-man roster:

1. Adam Thielen
2. Stefon Diggs
3. Chad Beebe
4. Jordan Taylor
5. Brandon Zylstra
6. Olabisi Johnson

There is no chance the Vikings move forward this year without Thielen or Diggs. These two pass catchers both surpassed 1,000 yards last season and should be considered likely to repeat that feat. Both showcase great feet, excellent hands, and the ability to make tough catches in traffic, and Kirk Cousins will love that.

Both Beebe and Zylstra showed plenty of flashes last year in the preseason with solid performances in the regular season as well. Johnson and Taylor are making a strong case for making the roster as well, especially if he can contribute to special teams. Their potential gives them a great advantage over some of the other, more established players who seem to have reached their ceiling.

Speaking of that, you’ll notice Laquon Treadwell isn’t on this list. Holding him to get a possible compensatory pick next year makes sense, but not if it means leaving someone who is making the most of their opportunities like Taylor or Johnson on the sidelines, it’s just not really worth it.